Herlinda Soto, a Gulf War veteran, was 43 years old when she disappeared over the July 4 holiday weekend in 1993.

Because of the large quantity of blood that was found in her home, police suspected foul play.

"Her car was found 4 miles from her home at the edge of the desert, and there was blood inside the trunk," said Detective Mike Aman, with the El Paso Police Department's Crimes Against Persons division. "We have never found her body. It appears that her body was transported in her car, and from that we gather that whoever moved the body had help."

A friend remembers talking to Soto on the phone around 11 p.m. on July 2, the Friday before the 1993 July 4 holiday weekend. That was the last time anyone heard from Soto.

Advertisement

"Her husband had come by earlier in the day to pick up their two young children for a visit. The couple had come out of a contentious divorce and custody fight," Aman said. "He returned on Monday (July 5, 1993) to return the children, and called 911 from a neighbor's phone after seeing the blood in the garage."

"There was blood inside the home, too" Aman said. "We believe that Herlinda Soto was killed in a struggle, but we still don't know how she was killed."

REPORTER

Diana Washington Valdez

Aman said the former husband, who since moved to Puerto Rico, denied having anything to do with her disappearance, and his alibis for that weekend seemed to check out.

Herlinda Soto lived in the 1500 block of Bill Ogden in East El Paso. Her car was found in the 12000 block of Pine Springs Drive, which was undeveloped at the time.

Soto, a reservist, was a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. She was 5-feet, 6-inches tall, weighed 150 pounds, and had brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair.

"There is somebody who knows something about this case," Aman said. "It's been nearly 20 years, and it's time for this person or persons to come forward with the information."

Detective Aman can be reached at the El Paso Police Department, 915-564-7010.